Apparatus for drying macaroni, spaghetti, and similar foods.



S. VIVIANO.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING IVIACARONI, SPAGHETTI, AND SIMILAR FOODS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.22. I91?- IIIII i;

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APPARATUS FOR, DRYING MACARONI, SPAGI-IET'II, AND SIMILAR FOODS.

Specification of Letters'JPatent.

Patented duty 2, timid.

Application filed August 22, 1917. Serial No. NZGM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, SALVATORE VIVLANO, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Drying Macaroni, Spaghetti, and Similar Foods, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an apparatus for drying macaroni, spaghetti and other foods of a similar nature. In the manufacture of foods of the character mentioned it is now the general practice to remove the macaroni or spaghetti from the machine in which it is formed and loop it over long sticks or bars which are then carried into a heated drying room and placed on racks. This drying room, which is maintained at a very high temperature, is equipped with fans arranged in such a manner that blasts of hot air will be blown downwardly onto the macaroni suspended from the sticks on the racks, it being the usual practice to leave the macaroni in said heated dryin room for'a period of from two to three ours, so as to completely dry the outer surface of the macaroni. Thereafter, the sticks containing the macaroni are carried into" another room or compartment wherein the macaroni is subjected to a sweating process which causes the moisture on the inner side of the macaroni to be drawn outwardly to the outer surface of the macaroni. After being subjected to this sweating process for aperiod of from ten to twelve hours the sticks containing the I macaroni are carried into a room and placed on racks where they are left for a period of about eight days, orv until the macaroni has become completely dried by exposure to .ried on. Consequently, there is a great deal of waste, due to the breakage that naturally results from frequently handling the macaroni, and moreover, such a method of drying.

macaroni tends to produce a product-that is not absolutely clean, as it is impossible, even where the greatest care is exercised, to prevent all dirt' and dust from lodging on the macaroni when it is handled so many times and carried into three diflerent rooms. The excessive heat to which the macaroni is subjected in the heated drying room tends to bleach or destroy the natural color of the macaroni and also tends to make the macaroni curl up, both of which features are undesirable from a commercial standpoint. Moreover, such a method of drying macaroni is slow and costly, as it usually requires about nine days to completely dry the maca- -roni and necessitates the employment of a large number of operatives to carry the macaroni from one room to another. The excessive heat to which the workmen are subjected when carrying the macaroni into and out of the heated drying room is also a veryobjectionable feature of the method now ingeneral use.

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The main object of my invention is to proy novel construction for causing air to flow longitudinally through said room in one direction and be distributed uniformly over the macaroni for a certain period and then longitudinally through the room in the opposite direction, the direction of travel of the'ai'r being reversed intermittently until the drying operation is completed.

The complete drying operation is performed in the room in which the macaroni was taken after being removed from the machine in which it was formed and during the entire drying operation the macaroni is not handled or removed from the racks on which it was first placed. Consequently, there is very little waste in my method due to breakage of the macaroni and the product is clean. Moreover, my apparatus makes it possible to completely dry the macaroni in a period varying from three to four days, depending upon atmospheric conditions.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a vertical sectional view of my improved apparatus; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A designates tit? till

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from any suitable material and in various ways Without departing from the spirit of my invention, so long as it is of such a character that it will form a passageway through which air can flow longitudinally first in one 115 direction fora certain period and then in the opposite direction for acertain period. Means is provided for causing air, preferably at atmospheric temperature, to ow longitudinally through the room A over the macaroni suspended from the sticks G, and While various means may be used for this purpose without departing from the spirit of my invention, I prefer to use one or more fans D arranged so that currents of air will travel longitudinally'of the room Alin a direction parallel to the sticks C from which the macaroni is suspended, thereby causing the air to come in contact with both strands of each piece of macaroni. The fans D are an preferably so constructed that'the air will be distributed equally and uniformly over all of the macaroni in the room A, thereby insuring even drying of the macaroni. In the apparatus herein shown the fans D are as provided with tapered blades 1 which are widest at their inner ends and gradually diminish in width toward their outer ends, as shown in Fig. 2. In other words, each of the fan D is provided with blades 1 which 40 are so proportioned that when the fan is in operation the volume of air expelled from or set in motion by the center of the fan will be substantially the same as the volume of air set in'motion by the outer end portions of the blades 1 of the fan.

In the apparatus herein shown two fans are employed which are arranged between three racks B, the blades of said fans being long enough so that air will be forced or Be drawn uniformly over all of the macaroni on each of theracks B. It is immaterial, so far as my broad idea is concerned, how many fans are employed, but it is essential that the fans be arranged in such a manner that there are no bafiles between the fan and racks B,

and further, that the fans be provided With tapered blades 1 of the form above described, as such an arrangement makes it possible to drive the fans at a comparatively slow speed to with a small electric motor and still obtain an even and equal distribution of air over all of the macaroni in the room A. One convenient way of operating the fans D is to connectup each fan with a countershaft 2 at by means of a belt 3 and drive said countershaft 2 by a belt 4 that passes over a: pulley 5 on an electric motor 6. If desired, the apparatus can comprise means for raising the temperature of the room A'so as to cause the macaroni to sweat at a certain stage or at certain stages in the drying operation, the means herein shown for this purpose consisting of one or more radiators E or steam coils arrangedin the room A, as shown in Fig. 1 and adapted to be heated by steam or any'other suitable heating medium. However, it is not essential to the successful operation of mymcthod that the temperature ofthe room be increased during the drying operation, as the macaroni generally conso tains suflicient moisture to cause it to sweat.

In using my apparatus the macaroni, after being removed from the machine inwhich it is formed, is looped over thesticks C which are then carried into the room A and arranged horizontally on the racks B in said room. Thereafter, the fans D are started so as to cause air to flow longitudinally through'the room A in one direction for a period of time that will vary according I to atmospheric conditions, but which is usually from one to two hours. Said fans are then reversed and operated'for. a period of from one to two hours, so as to cause air to flow longitudinally through theroom A in the opposite direction, so as to insure all portions of all of the macaroni in the room being acted upon by moving air, the air being at atmospheric temperature, unless atmospheric conditions necessitate or make it desirable to heat the air slightly. A reversing motor can be used for operating the fans, or any other suitable means can be used for changing the direction of rotation of the fans. If the outer surface of the macaroni becomes dry after the fans have been in operation for a short period, the fans can be stopped and the temperature of the room A.

raised by admitting steam or any other suitable heating medium to the radiators E, so as to cause the macaroni to sweat, and thus draw the water on the inside of the macaroni outwardly to the outersurface of the macaroni. The supply of steam to the radiators is continued for a short period and is then cut oil. In most instances, however, the macaroni contains sufficient moisture to overcome the necessity of raising the temperature of the room so as to cause the macaroni to sweat. Thereafter, the fans D are started and are operated intermittently at frequent intervals until the macaroni has become completely dried, the time usually required to completely dry the macaroni being from three to four days.

With such an apparatus there is very little waste due to breakage of the macaroni, owing to the fact that the macaroni is not handled after being placed on the racks B. Moreover, such an apparatus produces clean 180 aaroneo macaroni that is straight and of natural to hot blasts of air, as in the method now a generally used for drying macaroni. lln adllll llll:

dition to the desirable features above pointed out, my apparatus makes it possible to dry macaroni in about one-halt of the time required by the method now generally used; it is inexpensive to build and it eliminates a number of operatives which heretofore were employed to carry the macaroni from one room to another during the operation of drying same While l[ have herein illustrated my apparatus as being used for drying long strips of macaroni, it will, of course, be understood that said apparatus can be used for drying out macaroni or short pieces of macaroni contained in trays that are placed on the racks in the drying room.

Having thus described my invention, what ll. claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus for drying macaroni and the like, comprising a room or compartment,

a rack in said room on which the macaroni is placed, and a tanarranged in said room in close proximity to said rack with no baffle or similar obstruction between the fan and the rack, said fan being provided with blades which gradually diminish in width toward their outer ends, thereby insuring an equal and uniform distribution of air over all of the macaroni in the room when the tan is in operation 2. An apparatus for drying macaroni and the like, comprising a room or, compartment, two structures in said room that are adapted to contain macaroni or the like, and a fan arranged between said structures with no baffles or the like between said structures and tan and constructed in such a manner that when it is in operation air will flow longitudinally through said room and be distributed evenly and uniformly overthe macaroni, said tan being adapted to be reversed so as to cause the air to iiowlongitudinally of the room in one direction for a certain period and then longitudinally of the room in the opposite direction for a certain period.

SALVA'JTURE VlWlIANUL 

